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Not applicable.
The present invention relates to a game board table with a recessed storage area for storing a game board on a center leaf of the table. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide for a table having a center leaf with a pulley system connected to pivotable table top cover. When the top cover is opened and closed, the pulley system raises and lowers the center leaf, and any game board positioned on the center leaf, within a storage area formed in the center of the table. By maintaining the center leaf in a horizontal position, the game board and game pieces on the game board can temporarily be stored without disturbing the game pieces such that the game may be resumed at a later time.
Game boards for games such as chess, checkers, and backgammon are typically played on game boards which are laid flat on a supporting table surface. Tables may be designed specifically for games and recreational purposes, and such tables often include a game board painted on the surface of the table. Other game tables may include a game board integrally formed in the surface of the table by inlays into the permanent structure of the table.
The game board and the pieces for playing the game are typically stored in a game box or other storage container. To start the game, the board is placed on a table and the pieces are located on the game board in their appropriate starting positions. The game pieces are moved about the board during the playing of the game. When the game is completed, the pieces are removed from the board and returned to their storage container.
For game tables where the game board is integrally formed in the surface of the table, the game pieces are still generally stored either in a separate game box or in storage drawer formed in the table. The game pieces are removed from the storage drawer for playing of the game, and then returned to the storage drawer when the game is completed.
A feature which is not generally available with existing game boards and game tables is the ability to store game pieces on a game board for an extended period of time without disturbing the pieces. On occasion, individuals may start a game of chess, but they may not be able to complete the game in one setting. The players often desire to continue the game at a later time. The game board and/or game table must be kept in a safe place where the pieces on the game board will not be disturbed. If there is no place to temporarily store the game board with the game pieces in their position on the board when the game was suspended, then the players are forced to make a written record of the location of the game pieces before storing the game pieces. In order to continue the game at a later time, the pieces must be individually positioned in the proper location based on the written record. Often the players will just abandon the partially completed game if they are forced to move the pieces and the game board to their normal storage position in a game box.
Most players will not have a convenient place to store the game board without disturbing the game pieces. In homes with children and/or pets, it is even more difficult to find a space to store the game board without returning the game pieces to their typical storage location. In most cases when a game is suspended for a period of time, there is a high probability that the game pieces may accidentally be disturbed or otherwise moved from their position on the board when the game was halted.
Jig-saw puzzles are another table activity for which temporary storage is a problem. People working on jig-saw puzzles often work on puzzles over an extended period of time. Frequently, a partially assembled puzzle must be left on the table for extended periods of time while the puzzle is being completed. Many jig-saw puzzle players would welcome a game table which provides the capability of safely storing a partially completed puzzle.
The play of board games, such as Monopoly (registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.), may also be temporarily suspended by the players during the middle of a game. Players could participate in a marathon game of Monopoly over an extended period of time if there was a safe and convenient means for storing the game board without disturbing the game pieces. For any game which requires an extended period of time to complete, there are often problems in temporarily suspending the game for completion at a later time because there is no convenient place to temporarily store the game in progress.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,466 discloses a table with a mechanism for varying the size of a table top. A center leaf is selectively positioned between a pair of side leaves. The center leaf is stored in a vertical position when not in use. The table top game container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,925 has storage areas for storing game pieces when the table is not in use. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,360,264 and 3,563,624 describe tables with storage areas which can be configured in various different structures. The tables also include storage compartments for storing games and toys. None of these patens discloses a table which permits the temporary storage of game pieces on the game board when a game is in progress.
Other patents related to game tables and the storage of games pieces include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,503,400; 5,490,675; 3,880,429; 2,292,016; and 716,435.
In general, game players often have a need for an attractive game table which includes a convenient storage area for storing the game board and the game pieces in playing position when a game is temporarily suspended. Games which require an extended period of time to complete, such as chess and jig-saw puzzles, would be ideally suited for a game table having a storage area for storing a game in progress.
An embodiment of the invention is a game table with a recessed storage area to store a game board and game pieces in playing position. The game table includes a center leaf which is used to support a game board. Alternatively, the game board could be integrally formed in the center leaf. A pulley system attached to the top cover of the game table is used to selectively raise and lower the center leaf within the storage area.
The storage area is an open-top rectangular box mounted in the frame of a table. The storage box is sized to permit the center leaf to be maintained in a horizontal position with sufficient depth to move the horizontal center leaf from a storage position at the bottom of the storage box to a playing position at the top of the storage box.
The game table includes a movable top cover to cover the storage box when the cover is in the closed position. The cover is connected to the table frame by hinges such that the cover is pivoted from the closed position to an open position to permit access to the storage area. In addition, the game table is provided with a pulley system having pulley wheels on the bottom of the center leaf. Pulley wires run from one section of the top cover through the pulley wheels under the center leaf and to the other section of the top cover. When the movable top cover is pivoted to the open position, the pulley system raises the center leaf to the top of the storage box. When the top cover is closed, the center leaf is returned towards the bottom of the storage area. The center leaf is maintained in a horizontal position such that the game pieces are not disturbed when the center leaf is raised or lowered in the storage box.
When the center leaf is at the bottom of the storage area, spacer bars are positioned to support and stabilize the center leaf. When the center leaf is at the top of the storage area, the center leaf engages the frame to steady the center leaf. Each pulley wire includes a spring segment which provides tension to keep the center leaf firmly engaged with the top frame.
The top cover will typically include four movable segments. The outer two segments are hinged to the frame and pivot open such that the surface of the outer segments are coplanar with the table frame when the top cover is in the open position. The two center segments are connected by hinges to the outer segments. When the top cover is fully opened, the center segments pivot under the outer segments to engage the side of the table frame. This provides additional support to stabilize the cover when the center leaf is positioned at the top of the storage area.
When a game is played, the game board is positioned on the center leaf. If the game is suspended in mid-game, then the top cover can be closed to lower the center leaf into the storage area without disturbing the game pieces on the game board. When the game players desire to resume the game, the top is opened to raise the center leaf and game board to the playing position. The game pieces will be located on the game board in the same position as when the game was suspended.
These as well as other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.